Annie Le’s killer pleads guilty

The man accused of killing Placerville woman Annie Le pleaded guilty to felony murder Thursday morning, more than one year after Le’s body was discovered hidden behind a wall at a Yale University research center.

Public defenders for Raymond John Clark III, 26, told news outlets earlier this week that the former animal research technician intended to enter a guilty plea Thursday morning during a pre-trial hearing in a Connecticut courtroom.

Thursday morning, the Associated Press reported Clark in fact pleaded guilty to the 2009 murder and attempted sexual assault of Le. Prior to Thursday’s announcement, Clark had not been charged with the attempted rape of Le.

According to the New Haven Independent, Clark pleaded guilty to the sexual charge count under the Alford Doctrine, meaning he denied trying to rape Le but acknowledged prosecutors had sufficient evidence to convict him beyond a reasonable doubt.

Prosecutor David Strollo reportedly told the court Thursday that Le’s body was discovered exhibiting signs of sexual assault. Investigators, Strollo said, also found semen on Le’s underwear, according to the New Haven Independent.